Sepsis Misdiagnosis Lawyer in Massachusetts

Sepsis as a Medical Emergency

Sepsis is a life-threatening systemic inflammatory response to infection that can progress rapidly to septic shock, multi-organ failure, and death. Early recognition and aggressive treatment dramatically improve survival rates, but once sepsis advances to septic shock, mortality increases significantly with every hour of delay in treatment. Massachusetts healthcare providers are required to recognize the clinical signs of sepsis and to initiate evidence-based treatment bundles promptly. When a physician or emergency room fails to recognize and treat sepsis in time, the resulting progression of the condition may constitute medical malpractice. Attorney Jeffrey C. Lavey represents sepsis misdiagnosis victims and their families throughout Massachusetts.

Clinical Signs of Sepsis That Should Trigger Action

• Fever or hypothermia (abnormally low temperature) with suspected or confirmed infection
• Rapid heart rate (tachycardia) in a patient with infection or suspected infection
• Rapid breathing rate (tachypnea) disproportionate to the clinical situation
• Altered mental status including confusion, lethargy, and agitation
• Abnormal blood pressure or signs of poor tissue perfusion
• Abnormal laboratory values including elevated white blood count, lactate, or creatinine
• Failure to respond to initial fluid resuscitation as expected

Hospital Sepsis Protocols and Their Required Implementation

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign and institutional sepsis protocols require that hospitals implement standard bundles of care for sepsis patients within specified time windows. These bundles include blood cultures before antibiotic administration, broad-spectrum antibiotics within a specific period of sepsis recognition, intravenous fluid resuscitation, and lactate measurement. Failure to implement these evidence-based interventions within the required time windows in a recognized sepsis patient represents a departure from the standard of hospital care. Attorney Lavey evaluates protocol implementation in every sepsis malpractice case.

How Sepsis Progresses When Not Treated Promptly

Untreated or inadequately treated sepsis progresses through stages of increasing severity. Early sepsis, with appropriate treatment, has relatively good outcomes. Severe sepsis involves organ dysfunction. Septic shock involves refractory hypotension requiring vasopressors and carries dramatically higher mortality. With each stage of progression, the probability of survival decreases and the extent of lasting organ damage increases. The harm caused by a delayed or missed sepsis diagnosis is measured by the stage at which treatment was eventually initiated compared to when it should have been.

Compensation for Sepsis Misdiagnosis Victims

For survivors of sepsis misdiagnosis, compensation covers all additional treatment costs caused by progression of the condition during the diagnostic delay, all lost wages during extended treatment and recovery, pain and suffering from the avoidable deterioration, and future medical costs for lasting organ damage. For families of patients who died from sepsis that was initially misdiagnosed, wrongful death compensation is available. Attorney Lavey pursues every element of compensation in every sepsis misdiagnosis case.

Frequently Asked Questions